ON DECRYPT
As we know, in France, a woman dies every two days under the blows of her spouse or former spouse. Since the Grenelle conjugal violence on September 3, feminicides are now a political issue and it is the turn of the High Authority of Health (HAS) to seize the file. For the first time, the body, which sets good practices for doctors, publishes recommendations to help them better identify women victims of domestic violence. Because contrary to what we think, it is not so easy.
Difficult diagnosis
According to the High Authority of Health, in the waiting room of a general practitioner, 3 to 4 women out of 10 would be victims of domestic violence. Yet during the consultation, the issue is rarely addressed. Doctors are afraid of hurting their patients by asking too intimate questions or even putting their feet in the dish. Also afraid of not knowing what to do if the answer is "yes, my husband hits me".
"How is it going at home with your husband?"
Pierre-Louis Druais is a general practitioner in Yvelines and a member of the HAS. He identifies the victims of violence with their incoherent symptoms. "Psychological troubles of course, but also sleep, digestive and alimentary disorders, abdominal pains .. Often, the repetition of these complaints is a call for help in the face of the reality of the violence, but she can not say it" says the doctor. Pierre-Louis Druais, he chooses to ask the question head-on: "'How does it happen at home with your husband?' It can also be: 'Have you ever been afraid of your partner, or afraid for your children? '
But for the HAS, whatever the wording, the issue of violence must now be systematically asked by the doctor during medical questioning, as well as age, history, consumption of tobacco or alcohol.